A good campfire starts with the site and the layout. Two classic shapes, the teepee and the log cabin, cover most situations. Here is how each works and which to choose for cooking.
Before any wood is stacked, confirm that fires are allowed where you are. Forest Service guidance says not to build a fire where campground rules, area rules, event rules or local laws prohibit them, and not in hazardous, dry or windy conditions. For more on that, see fire restrictions and burn bans.
Where fires are allowed, use an existing ring or pit when there is one. Smokey Bear guidance calls for a clear area at least 10 feet across, at least 15 feet from tents, vegetation and low-hanging branches, and overhead clearance of at least three times the height of the flames. Pick a flat site away from gusty wind.
Check the weather as well. Dry, windy days raise the risk of sparks traveling, which is why the Forest Service advises against building a fire in hazardous, dry or windy conditions. If the day looks risky, switch to a stove and wait for better conditions.
A fire needs tinder, kindling and fuel. Tinder is the small, dry material that catches first, such as dry grass or fine twigs. Kindling is sticks smaller than one inch around. Fuel is the larger pieces that sustain the fire.
Gather more than you think you need and keep it dry. Collect small, dry sticks and logs from the ground, not those covered by leaves, and never cut whole trees or branches. Where wood is for sale, buy it near where you will burn it, as explained in best wood for campfire cooking.
Sort your wood into three piles before lighting anything: tinder at hand, kindling within arm's reach and fuel a few steps back. That way, you are never leaving the fire to hunt for more wood while it is burning down.
Place tinder in the center, then lean kindling against each other over it so the sticks form a cone with a small opening on the windward side. Light the tinder, and the flame climbs the cone naturally, pulling air through the gap.
The teepee lights easily and burns hot and fast. That makes it a good choice for getting started, boiling water quickly or giving off light on a cool evening. It collapses inward as it burns, which is also how it builds a coal bed.
Gather extra tinder in a dry bag or pocket before leaving home. Dryer material lights faster, and carrying a small supply means a wet morning does not end your trip before it starts.
Stack two parallel logs, then lay two more across them to form a square. Continue building upward, shrinking the square slightly with each layer, and fill the middle with tinder and kindling. Light the center.
The log cabin burns more slowly and steadily, and it leaves a more even bed of coals. For cooking, that coal bed is the prize. It is also a good shape for a grate, since the sturdy outer walls give support.
Let the first logs burn well before you disturb them. A fire needs time to establish itself, and constant poking breaks up the structure that feeds it air. Wait until the walls start to settle, then adjust.
Many campers use both. Start with a teepee to get flame quickly, then add logs in a cabin pattern to build coals. Wait until flames die down to cook with sticks, poppers and pie irons. Our marshmallow guide explains why embers produce the best results.
Keep the fire small, not tall. Smokey Bear guidance also says never to use flammable liquids to light a fire, so use a match or lighter, then blow lightly at the base and add fuel slowly.
Stay with the fire while it burns, and plan time to put it out. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave. The sequence in how to put out a campfire safely shows how to finish properly.
Fire tools can make building easier. Campfire Stix is developing fire tools and starter kits for people who want a ready set of basics.
Two more arrangements help in particular situations. The lean-to starts with a larger piece of wood laid on the ground as a windbreak, with kindling propped against it and tinder underneath. It is useful when a breeze keeps blowing out the match. The cross, or star, layout lays logs like spokes pointing in to the center and feeds them inward as the ends burn away, which is economical with wood.
Smokey Bear guidance lists the teepee, lean-to, cross and log cabin as the usual patterns. None of them is magic. Each is simply a way to leave gaps for air while keeping fuel close enough to share heat.
Whatever you pick, build it inside the ring or pit, and keep it small. A smaller fire is easier to keep under control, uses less wood and cooks perfectly well.
Feed the fire gradually. Adding a large log too early smothers the flame, while piling on too much too fast produces smoke and no heat. Start small, give each addition time to catch and add fuel when flames begin to drop.
If the fire will not light, check three things: whether the tinder is truly dry, whether kindling is stacked tightly enough to block airflow, and whether the wind is pushing the flame away. Fix the problem, then try again. Avoid any liquid accelerant, since Forest Service guidance warns against using flammable liquids to start a fire.
If the fire smokes heavily, the wood is probably damp. Set the wet pieces aside to dry near the fire, and use only the driest pieces to keep a clean flame.
Teepees light quickly and burn hot. Log cabins burn longer and leave a steadier coal bed, which suits cooking.
Keep it small, not tall. A smaller fire is easier to control and still cooks well.
No. Forest Service guidance says not to use flammable liquids to start a fire.
Guidance says at least 15 feet from tents and vegetation. Local rules may require more.
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